Wednesday, August 09, 2017

Aeroprakt A-20 Vista Cruiser N55US: Accident occurred July 16, 2017 near Brookhaven Airport (KHWV), Shirley, Suffolk County, New York

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Farmingdale, New York

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf


Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

http://registry.faa.gov/N55US

Location: Shirley, NY 
Accident Number: ERA17LA247
Date & Time: 07/16/2017, 2010 EDT 
Registration: N55US
Aircraft: AEROPRAKT A 20 VISTA CRUISER
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of engine power (total)
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

Analysis

The private pilot reported that he was conducting touch-and-go landings and that, while on final approach, the experimental, light sport airplane encountered a downdraft, and the engine lost total power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine or glide the airplane to the runway, and it impacted trees.

The engine was test run successfully several times, and no anomalies were noted. The engine's choke control was located near the throttle lever. During the test runs, the engine lost total power if the choke control was moved about halfway (1 inch). It is likely that the pilot's hand was on the throttle lever and that it inadvertently bumped the choke control during the downdraft encounter, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's inadvertent activation of the engine's choke control during a downdraft encounter, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

Findings

Aircraft
Engine controls - Unintentional use/operation (Cause)

Personnel issues 
Action - Pilot (Cause)

Environmental issues

Downdraft - Effect on operation (Cause)

Factual Information

On July 16, 2017, about 2010 eastern daylight time, an experimental light sport Aeroprakt A-20 Vista Cruiser, N55US, was substantially damaged during a forced landing into trees, following a total loss of engine power on final approach to Brookhaven Airport (HWV), Shirley, New York. The private pilot was not injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.

The pilot reported that he was performing touch-and-go landings to runway 24 at HWV. About 700 feet above ground level, the airplane encountered a downdraft and the engine lost all power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and realized that the airplane would not glide all the way to the runway. He elected to land in the tops of trees approximately .3 mile from the runway threshold. The airplane subsequently contacted the tree tops and descended left wing low to the ground.

Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The airplane was equipped with a Rotax 912 S, 100-horsepower engine. Subsequent examination and successful test-runs of the engine by the pilot and FAA inspectors did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The engine operated continuously at multiple power settings, including full power.


The engine's choke control was located in the vicinity of the throttle lever. During one of the test-runs, the pilot and FAA inspectors noted that when the choke control was moved approximately halfway (1 inch), the engine lost all power. The pilot and inspectors believed that during the downdraft/turbulence encounter, the pilot's hand on the throttle accidentally bumped the choke control, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

History of Flight

Approach-VFR pattern final
Loss of engine power (total) (Defining event)

Emergency descent
Off-field or emergency landing

Landing
Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) 

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 45, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Front
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 4-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 05/12/2016
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 10/11/2016
Flight Time:  400 hours (Total, all aircraft), 110 hours (Total, this make and model), 10 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: AEROPRAKT
Registration: N55US
Model/Series: A 20 VISTA CRUISER NO SERIES
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2006
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Experimental Light Sport
Serial Number: 047
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 11/25/2016, Condition
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1200 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 22 Hours
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 430 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Rotax
ELT: C91A installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: 912 S
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 100 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: HWV, 81 ft msl
Observation Time: 1956 EDT
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 240°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Temperature/Dew Point: 24°C / 19°C
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 5 knots, 200°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 29.98 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Shirley, NY (HWV)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Shirley, NY (HWV)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 2000 EDT
Type of Airspace:

Airport Information

Airport: Brookhaven Airport (HWV)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 81 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 24
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 4200 ft / 100 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Forced Landing; Traffic Pattern 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None

Latitude, Longitude: 40.821944, -72.866944 (est)




NTSB Identification: ERA17LA247
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, July 16, 2017 in Shirley, NY
Aircraft: AEROPRAKT A 20 VISTA CRUISER, registration: N55US
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On July 16, 2017, about 2010 eastern daylight time, an experimental light-sport Aeroprakt A-20 Vista Cruiser, N55US, operated by the private pilot, was substantially damaged during a forced landing into trees, following a total loss of engine power on final approach to runway 24 at Brookhaven Airport (HWV), Shirley, New York. The private pilot was not injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.

The pilot reported that he was performing touch-and-go landings at HWV. About 700 feet above ground level, the airplane encountered a downdraft and the engine lost all power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and realized that the airplane would not glide all the way to the runway. He elected to land in the tops of trees approximately .3 mile from the runway threshold. The airplane subsequently contacted the tree tops and descended left wing low to the ground.

Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the wings and fuselage. The airplane was equipped with a Rotax 912S, 100-horsepower engine, which was retained for further examination.





A small plane crashed on Long Island, but the pilot was able to walk away uninjured, authorities say.

The aircraft went down just after 8 p.m. Sunday night along the Moriches-Middle Island Road in Mastic just shy of Brookhaven Calabro Airport, according to officials.

The FAA said the pilot was doing practice landings and was on the final approach to the airport when the plane’s engine cut out.

The pilot was able to coast the plane into a patch of woods before it came to rest in the trees, the FAA said.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com

his pilot was all smiles after he survived a crash-landing on Long Island.

Yuri Koziy, 45, was doing practice landings on his final approach to Brookhaven Calabro Airport around 8 p.m. Sunday when his plane went down along the Moriches-Middle Island Road in Mastic, officials told NBC.

Koziy, of Massapequa, managed to coast the plane into a patch of woods until it landed in the trees, the FAA told the station.

He was the only person on board the plane, and refused medical attention.

A photo shows Koziy, wearing shorts and a T-shirt, grinning broadly as he leans against a first responder’s van. The aircraft crash-landed in the trees in Mastic, Long Island. The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Farmingdale, New York

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

http://registry.faa.gov/N55US

NTSB Identification: ERA17LA247
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, July 16, 2017 in Shirley, NY
Aircraft: AEROPRAKT A 20 VISTA CRUISER, registration: N55US
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On July 16, 2017, about 2010 eastern daylight time, an experimental light sport Aeroprakt A-20 Vista Cruiser, N55US, was substantially damaged during a forced landing into trees, following a total loss of engine power on final approach to Brookhaven Airport (HWV), Shirley, New York. The private pilot was not injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.

The pilot reported that he was performing touch-and-go landings to runway 24 at HWV. About 700 feet above ground level, the airplane encountered a downdraft and the engine lost all power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and realized that the airplane would not glide all the way to the runway. He elected to land in the tops of trees approximately .3 mile from the runway threshold. The airplane subsequently contacted the tree tops and descended left wing low to the ground.

Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The airplane was equipped with a Rotax 912 S, 100-horsepower engine. Subsequent examination and successful test-runs of the engine by the pilot and FAA inspectors did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The engine operated continuously at multiple power settings, including full power.


The engine's choke control was located in the vicinity of the throttle lever. During one of the test-runs, the pilot and FAA inspectors noted that when the choke control was moved approximately halfway (1 inch), the engine lost all power. The pilot and inspectors believed that during the downdraft/turbulence encounter, the pilot's hand on the throttle accidentally bumped the choke control, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.



NTSB Identification: ERA17LA247
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, July 16, 2017 in Shirley, NY
Aircraft: AEROPRAKT A 20 VISTA CRUISER, registration: N55US
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On July 16, 2017, about 2010 eastern daylight time, an experimental light-sport Aeroprakt A-20 Vista Cruiser, N55US, operated by the private pilot, was substantially damaged during a forced landing into trees, following a total loss of engine power on final approach to runway 24 at Brookhaven Airport (HWV), Shirley, New York. The private pilot was not injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.

The pilot reported that he was performing touch-and-go landings at HWV. About 700 feet above ground level, the airplane encountered a downdraft and the engine lost all power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and realized that the airplane would not glide all the way to the runway. He elected to land in the tops of trees approximately .3 mile from the runway threshold. The airplane subsequently contacted the tree tops and descended left wing low to the ground.

Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the wings and fuselage. The airplane was equipped with a Rotax 912S, 100-horsepower engine, which was retained for further examination.





A small plane crashed on Long Island, but the pilot was able to walk away uninjured, authorities say.

The aircraft went down just after 8 p.m. Sunday night along the Moriches-Middle Island Road in Mastic just shy of Brookhaven Calabro Airport, according to officials.

The FAA said the pilot was doing practice landings and was on the final approach to the airport when the plane’s engine cut out.

The pilot was able to coast the plane into a patch of woods before it came to rest in the trees, the FAA said.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com

his pilot was all smiles after he survived a crash-landing on Long Island.

Yuri Koziy, 45, was doing practice landings on his final approach to Brookhaven Calabro Airport around 8 p.m. Sunday when his plane went down along the Moriches-Middle Island Road in Mastic, officials told NBC.

Koziy, of Massapequa, managed to coast the plane into a patch of woods until it landed in the trees, the FAA told the station.

He was the only person on board the plane, and refused medical attention.

A photo shows Koziy, wearing shorts and a T-shirt, grinning broadly as he leans against a first responder’s van. The aircraft crash-landed in the trees in Mastic, Long Island.
Aeroprakt A-20 Vista Cruiser N55US: Accident occurred July 16, 2017 near Brookhaven Airport (KHWV), Shirley, Suffolk County, New York 


Federal officials said Wednesday that they will hold a safety seminar in Ronkonkoma next month after a series of crashes on Long Island involving small planes in recent years.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the seminar would be held Sept. 9 at 8:30 a.m. at Mid-Island Air Service on Hering Drive in Ronkonkoma.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who pressed for federal involvement, said the seminar would be the first of its kind on Long Island and would help local pilots learn about the causes of crashes and how to prevent them.

“These seminars are well attended, make the skies safer, and even allow pilots educational credits they can use to lower their insurance costs,” Schumer said.

The National Transportation Safety Board in March said that it examined 156 aviation accidents in the state over the past five years at Schumer’s request.

The review found that nothing set those accidents apart from those in general aviation, the agency said.

“For those accident investigations that have been completed, the causes have been similar to the cause of general aviation accidents that we investigated overall,” the agency said in a letter to Schumer on March 23.

About one-third of the crashes — including a cluster of seven early last year on Long Island — were caused by loss of pilot control, the agency said.

Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.newsday.com

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